Case Number 25556

JOHN DIES AT THE END (BLU-RAY)

The Charge

Just so you know...they're sorry for anything that's about to happen.

Opening Statement

Cult filmmaker Don Coscarelli returns with the most spoilerifically-titled
movie since Kill Bill.

Facts of the Case

The drug is called Soy Sauce. It's been taken by Dave (Chase Williamson,
Sparks) and his best friend John (Rob Mayes, The American Mall),
and it makes things...weird. As the movie opens, Dave is telling his story to
Arnie (Paul Giamatti, Sideways), a journalist. He tells about how he and
John took Soy Sauce and began hallucinating, communicating with the dead and
seeing monsters; they started a business of sorts, getting rid of the
supernatural things that only they can see. Things get complicated when people
start dying, monsters from other dimensions start showing up, a cop (Glynn
Turman, Super 8) begins chasing Dave down...and John...well, you
know.

The Evidence

Don Coscarelli makes eccentric movies. It should come as no surprise to
anyone familiar with his work that his latest effort, the 2012 horror comedy
John Dies at the End, plays like the bastard child of Ghostbusters
and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. What more do we expect from the guy
who made a name for himself with the Phantasm series?

John Dies at the End, a funny, trippy, gory horror comedy, is based
on a novel of the same name by David Wong (also the name of the main character).
There's plenty of stuff in the movie that would work pretty easily on the page
but which has difficulty translating to the screen; credit to writer/director
Coscarelli for adapting the material in a way that, while messy, still feels
ambitiously cinematic. This is clearly a movie that could have been helped by a
bigger budget, as it is obvious that the ambitions of the story and of
Coscarelli are of a scope beyond the means of the movie. When it uses camera
trickery or impressive practical foam latex, John Dies at the End is a
fantastic throwback to the monster movies of the 1980s. Because the narrative is
so otherworldly, however, there is a huge reliance on CGI, including an
underwhelming climax that's all but ruined by digital effects and green screen.
Luckily, the crazy energy and absurd humor of the film carry it through even the
rough patches, adding up to a movie that's uneven but a whole lot of fun.

One of the movie's weaknesses, unfortunately, is Chase Williamson's
performance in the lead. It's not that he's bad -- he's funny in a low-key way
-- but he's constantly being shown up by the actors in the character parts, from
Paul Giamatti to Clancy Brown to Doug Jones to the great Glynn Turman.
Williamson mostly just acts bewildered most of the time, which actually makes
him a pretty good audience surrogate. Now that I think about it, Williamson is
pretty right on in his approach to the role; while watching the movie, his work
felt small and unsure in comparison to the more seasoned actors, but in
retrospect it's perfectly effective. I can't remember another instance where I
literally changed my mind about something in the middle of composing a review. I
considered just deleting the paragraph and rewriting it, but a) that wouldn't be
an honest account of my reaction and b) switching gears mid-sentence is very
much in keeping with the spirit of the movie.

John Dies at the End comes to Blu-ray from Magnolia Entertainment in
a very satisfying package. First things first: the movie gets a solid
1.78:1/1080p HD transfer that's sure to satisfy fans. This is a movie that was
shot on digital and looks it, so while I found myself missing the quality of
film more than once (is it possible that an image be too clean?), it's
hard to argue with the results: excellent color reproduction, incredible
details, perfectly executed black levels. It's a great transfer, but it sure
doesn't look like film. Audiophiles should be happy with the lossless 5.1 DTS-HD
track that, given the hallucinatory nature of the film, is a great deal of fun;
while the dialogue is presented clearly in the front channels, the rear speakers
are often put to good use with ambient noise and surround effects.

Magnolia has compiled a decent selection of bonus features for those looking
to dig deeper into the movie. Director Coscarelli, stars Rob Mayes and Chase
Williamson and producer Brad Baruh all recorded a commentary track together
that's very enjoyable, covering various aspects of the production and having a
good time. Truth be told, I would have been happy with a solo Coscarelli track
(or even him and his producer) because he's the kind of filmmaker I just enjoy
listening to, but the actors bring a sense of fun and the track never gets
bogged down by too much overlapping conversation. A collection of deleted scenes
are all entertaining, but do nothing to further one's understanding of the
movie. Then there are a bunch of featurettes: an interview with co-star Paul
Giamatti (where he admits that the movie he originally signed on for was
Bubba Nosferatu), a piece on the special effects, a 10-minute making-of
piece, a short preview for author David Wong's follow-up book and footage from
the actors' original auditions. Also included is the movie's original theatrical
trailer.

Closing Statement

Though not a complete success, there's enough spark and personality in
John Dies at the End to make it a worthy entry into Coscarelli's
filmography. It's the kind of movie that's going to alienate almost anyone but
the people for whom it's made, who are sure to embrace it and reference it for
years to come. Coscarelli's movies -- which are far too few and sporadic -- are
all pretty much cult movies from the get-go. John Dies at the End is sure
to be the cultiest of cult movies.